Family Sues Hospital After ICU Patient Died In The Care Of A 'Teledoctor'

The family of Conor Hylton, a 26-year-old University of Connecticut dental student, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bridgeport Hospital’s Milford campus, alleging that negligence and substandard care led to his death in August 2024. Hylton was admitted after suffering intense abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, and was diagnosed with alcohol-induced pancreatitis, dehydration, and alcohol withdrawal, according to a Connecticut Department of Public Health after-action report cited in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit centers on the hospital's use of a telemedicine intensive care unit (tele-ICU) model, where no on-site ICU physician was present overnight. Instead, patient care was directed by an offsite “teledoctor.” Hylton’s family alleges that inadequate monitoring, poor communication, and staff unfamiliarity with procedures led to delays in treatment and ultimately his death. According to an investigation by the Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the hospital failed to provide consistent care and did not meet legal standards for patient care.

In the hours before his death, Hylton’s condition worsened: his blood pressure dropped, his heart rate spiked, and he became increasingly agitated. Despite being classified as “high risk,” the lawsuit claims that staffing shortages prevented proper care. The state’s report found that an on-site attending physician did not check on Hylton for four hours after his ICU transfer and had difficulty finding the ICU when finally called, causing a 10-minute delay. The remote doctor ultimately ordered intubation after Hylton became unresponsive and vomited dark fluid, but he suffered cardiac arrest and died less than two hours later.

The complaint also alleges that Hylton’s family was not informed of his transfer to the ICU or the use of a tele-ICU care model. The family's lawyer, Joel T. Faxon, stated, “You wouldn’t for a minute expect that you would have a telehealth physician in the intensive care unit. You can’t provide the care through a video system. Nobody knew this."

Yale New Haven Health, which operates Bridgeport Hospital, stated, “Yale New Haven Health is aware of this lawsuit and is committed to providing the safest and highest quality of care possible, however, we are unable to comment on pending litigation.”